The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is alerting the public of a recall being conducted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Canadian Establishment 720, Aliya's Foods Limited, for approximately 4,865 pounds of frozen butter chicken and rice products imported from Canada that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

CFIA oversees the recall in Canada and FSIS is overseeing the effectiveness in the United States. FSIS will verify that those companies who have received product from the Canadian-initiated recall have been notified and have removed product from commerce, and will take appropriate action if prohibited activity is found.

Products imported to the United States include "12.5 oz boxes of "Trader Joe's Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice" with product code "2012-10-31" and lot code "30512." The product being recalled is considered ready-to-eat (RTE) and subject to pathogen testing since FSIS has zero-tolerance for pathogens in RTE foods at time of production, even if that food requires heating for proper serving.

While 19 cartons of product are on hold at the distribution center, 240 cartons have been distributed to Trader Joe's retail stores. Trader Joe's has contacted these stores directly and instructed them to pull the recalled product off the shelf.

FSIS is concerned that consumers may have received or purchased this product but have not yet been notified about the recall.

Source: FSIS